Our Identity,
Vision and Values
ABOUT US
VISION
To create a world where the blind and low vision community is fully empowered to navigate life independently.
MISSION
To change lives, fund sight-restoring surgeries, and build accessible coffee partnerships.
Advocacy
InDEPENDENCE
OPPORTUNITY
Born from Love, Built for Change
Blind Grind Global Foundation was born from a personal journey and a deep desire to close a gap that so many people around the world silently face every single day.
In 2017, Sarah's father Mike lost his vision. Since then she has been by his side, helping with events, supporting the organizations he has poured his life into, and seeing firsthand what community and advocacy can do for the blind and low vision community.But she also saw what was missing. The resources, the access, the opportunities that so many people around the world simply never receive.
​
Imagine never seeing your child's face until he's already grown not because you chose to look away but because you simply couldn't afford a pair of glasses. That was reality for one father in South America, until the Lions Club, an international nonprofit, finally provided him with a donated pair once his son was grown. When Sarah heard this story from Mike as a young girl, it upset her deeply. Why did it take his son's entire life just to get something as simple as glasses? If he'd had access sooner, he could have watched his son grow up seeing him clearly the whole time. That's when Sarah realized how many people around the world are held back simply by a lack of access and that one small act of support can change and impact someone's life forever.
​
A way for us to help directly fell into our hands when Mike came across the blind community in the Philippines. He became friends with a remarkable woman who, after losing her sight, she refused to give up, completed a training program, and went on to own two massage clinics. She now opens her home to train other blind individuals herself since they do not have the resources to do it alone. The need far outweighs what one person can do alone. Many of those she wants to help simply cannot afford to participate and she has no staff to support her. She hires other disabled individuals to act as a guide for the blind massager. It truly is an amazing process she has. That is where we come in. We are building a training program specifically designed to cover costs for those who cannot afford it and provide her with the employees and give opportunity to those who need it so that lives can be changed.
Our Creative Founders.
Meet the Founders, Mike and Sarah Hopper. Daughter and Dad duo who created Blind Grind Global solely after seeing the Blind Community around the world in need of help and support.
Vice President
Mike Hopper
Mike has dedicated his life to the blind community. As Board Director of the Missouri Council of the Blind and a Chair Member of their Youth Services Program, he has spent years showing up for others, traveling on his own to events and creating Adventure Day, which brought the blind community outdoors through activities like archery, fishing, and kayaking. Each year, Mike personally walks 50 miles over 5 days for the White Cane Awareness Walkathon he founded, a physical commitment to raising awareness for the white cane and the independence it represents for the blind community. "Life is outside." — Mike Hopper
President
Sarah Hopper
Sarah Hopper holds a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee and is committed to using that foundation to build an organization that doesn't just raise awareness, but creates a lasting impact. One that changes people's lives forever.
​
She has seen the coffee journey firsthand from visiting coffee farms in Costa Rica to touring behind the scenes at Dini Caffè, a historic specialty roastery in Florence, Italy, to working as a barista herself. She continues traveling the world to deepen that knowledge, with the goal of partnering with great coffee shops everywhere to help build a more accessible world for the blind community.
At the end of September, Sarah will be on the ground in the Philippines, conducting vocational training and working directly with the blind community, local coffee farmers, and coffee shops.
Interested in partnering with Blind Grind Global?
Reach out to Sarah at info@blindgrindglobal.org